The challenge: How to improve the call experience for customers
There isn’t a business out there that doesn’t talk about the importance of customer experience (CX). Most know that they need to improve it. But understanding exactly where customer pain points lie – and then identifying and implementing those changes that will have the most significant impact – can be challenging.
One of the largest mortgage loan originator and service providers in the US asked Firstsource to help them overcome these challenges. They were concerned by the number of calls that customers needed to make to get questions answered or issues resolved. What was slowing things down in their current process? What could they do to improve first time resolution and CX?
The solution: Advanced analytics to strengthen insight and operations
The client prioritized their mortgage servicing operations, and a team of Firstsource consultants began by immersing themselves in the client’s business. They met with leaders across call center management, workforce management, customer experience (CX), compliance, and digital transformation to get a better understanding of their challenges.
The team visited the client’s largest service center in the US where they spoke to agents, and listened in on calls, to develop insight into the pain points impacting customer experience (CX). This quickly flagged up call avoidance issues that the client was unaware of, enabling them to introduce measures to reduce customer effort.
Using the proprietary Firstsource Customer Insight (FCI) framework, over 30,000 calls were analyzed during a six-week proof of concept period. Firstsource built and implemented a semantic model to measure and track agent empathy and used advanced speech analytics to evaluate agent interaction and customer sentiment. These vital, real-time insights, combined with flexible, user-friendly reports, gave the client 360-degree visibility into their operations. Firstsource identified and prioritized those areas of customer service that needed attention – mostly notably agent empathy and a disconnect between estimated and actual turnaround times.
The proof of concept approved, a larger Firstsource team extended their analytic approach across all ten of the client’s call centers – both captive centers and those outsourced to partners. Leveraging advanced speech analytics, they implemented an automated quality assurance (QA) system so the client could score agent performance and customer sentiment on all inbound and outbound calls. Firstsource advised on training and operational enhancements to strengthen agent empathy and improve first time resolution, and red flag alerts enabled the client to step in and take immediate action to reduce customer frustration.
Previously, the client had only been able to monitor two calls per agent per month. Now they’re able to monitor all customer interactions. This significantly mitigates the risk of non-compliance with regulatory guidelines. And, by matching the content on calls to agent call logs, Firstsource highlights disconnects between what an agent promises and what’s delivered, so the client can improve service.
By automating essential processes around workflow management and compliance, Firstsource simplified and streamlined operations, freeing up agents so they have more time to spend enhancing service and accelerating positive outcomes for customers.
The results: A marked improvement in CX boosts the client’s bottom line
Call avoidance dropped by 95% within four months, and empathy scores improved by 7%. Within a year, consistency between the timings agents quoted and what was delivered had increased by 70%. This enhanced performance has had a noticeable impact on customer satisfaction with a 50% reduction in customer complaints, a 3.3% increase in customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores, and a 20-point increase in net promoter scores (NPS).
Firstsource initiatives around compliance have delivered a 40% reduction in errors, giving C-suite executives confidence that they’re adhering to all rules and regulations.
The partnership between client and Firstsource has gone from strength to strength over five years. The remit has been extended to include mortgage origination as well as servicing, and the origination team has asked Firstsource to apply its automation and analytic expertise to all digital communications – including email and texts – to improve self-service and reduce the need for calls. So far, this has resulted in a 14% uplift in online account signups.
Flexible Firstsource solutions pivot to meet all the client’s needs – enabling them to adapt fast to changing market and customer requirements while reducing operational expenditure. The sharp, unbiased, and actionable insights that Firstsource generates inform every aspect of the client’s workflow management and are trusted by client and outsourced call center partners alike.
